Androgen deprivation therapy can effectively suppress the progression of prostate cancer, but accumulating evidence for the relationship of testosterone with prostate cancer challenges the conventional wisdom. High levels of testosterone are not risk factors for prostate cancer, nor promote its development. On the contrary, a low testosterone level indicates a worse pathological stage. So far there has been no strong evidence to prove the role of testosterone in the occurrence and progression of prostate cancer. Therefore, the relationship between testosterone and prostate cancer is quite complicated and deserves further investigation.
Humans ; Male ; Prostatic Neoplasms ; Testosterone

Three-way laryngeal mask airway (tLMA) was used in 31 patients aged 4-68 yr, weighing 10- 79 kg undergoing tracheal foreign body removal under general anesthesia. Anesthesia was induced with propofol 3 mg/kg, vecuronium 0.12 mg/kg and remifentanil 0.4 μg/kg. tLMA was inserted. The patients were mechanically ventilated. Anesthesia was maintained with iv infusion of propofol 2 mg . Kg-1 ? H-1, vecuronium 0.08 mg·kg-1·h-1 and remifentanil 0.15 μg·kg-1 ·min-1 . Radial artery was cannulated for BP monitoring and blood sampling. The operation time was 6-34 min and mechanical ventilation time 19-45 min. There was no significant change in SP, DP, HR, VT, Ppeak and Ppeak CO, during operation as compared with the baseline values before anesthesia. SpO2 was significantly increased at T2-6. PCO2, PO2 and O2sat were obviously improved after tLMA was used. All the patients emerged bom anesthesia within 30 min after operation. No aspiration, obvious gastrointestinal inflation, and pharyngeal and laryngeal edema and injury occurred. Mild agitation occurred in a short time during the recovery period in one patient. No complication occurred.

BACKGROUNDThalidomide is reviving for its antiangiogenic effect on corneal neovascularization models. Recently, it has been employed in tumor research in several types of solid carcinomas. However, its effect on hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has not yet been clarified.

METHODSA total of 48 nude mice bearing human HCC with a high metastatic potential were randomly divided into 4 groups. Thalidomide (200 mg/kg), paclitaxel (13 mg/kg), or their combination, which was dissolved in 0.5% sodium carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) suspension, was intraperitoneally injected in each group since the second day of the establishment of animal model. The group simply administered with 0.5% CMC was set as placebo-control. The mice were sacrificed on the 30th day, for the measurement of tumor size, weight and metastasis in the lungs. The levels of CD34 and endothelial growth factor (VEGF) mRNA in tumor tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry and semiquantitative RT-PCR, respectively, and microvessel density (MVD) was evaluated.

RESULTSNo statistical difference was found in tumor weight and volume between the thalidomide group and control (P>0.05). Paclitaxel showed a growth-inhibiting effect on tumors (P<0.05). The value of MVD and VEGF mRNA and metastases to the lungs in each group were lower than those in the placebo-control group (P<0.05); such difference in the combination group was statistically significant (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPaclitaxel, but not thalidomide, has significant growth inhibitory effect on tumors, but both significantly inhibit angiogenesis and metastasis of human HCC in nude mice, such effects of paclitaxel can be amplified by thalidomide.

Animals ; Antigens, CD34 ; analysis ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; blood supply ; drug therapy ; Lung Neoplasms ; secondary ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; drug therapy ; Paclitaxel ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Thalidomide ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Transplantation, Heterologous

Fifteen cassaen-type diterpenes were isolated from the 95% ethanolic extract of the seeds of C. minax through various chromatographic techniques. Their structures were identified on the basis of spectroscopic data as pulcherralpin (1), caesalpinin ML (2), chamaetexane C (3), chamaetexane D (4), 6β, 18-diacetoxycassan-13, 15-diene (5), neocaesalpin K (6), neocaesalpin MP (7), neocaesalpin M (8), neocaesalpin Q (9), neocaesalpin P (10), neocaesalpin R (11), caesaldekarin D (12), caesaldekarin A (13), caesaldekarin b (14), 3β,6α-diacetoxyvouacapane (15). Among them, compounds 14, 9-11 were isolated from this plant for the first time.
Caesalpinia ; chemistry ; Diterpenes ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; chemistry ; isolation & purification ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Molecular Structure ; Seeds ; chemistry ; Spectrometry, Mass, Electrospray Ionization

The experiment's aim was to optimize the processing technology of Xanthii Fructus which through comparing the difference of UPLC fingerprint and contents of toxicity ingredient in water extract of 16 batches of processed sample. The determination condition of UPLC chromatographic and contents of toxicity ingredient were as follows. UPLC chromatographic: ACQUITY BEH C18 column (2.1 mm x 100 mm, 1.7 microm) eluted with the mobile phases of acetonitrile and 0.1% phosphoric acidwater in gradient mode, the flow rate was 0.25 mL x min(-1) and the detection wavelength was set at 327 nm. Contents of toxicity ingredient: Agilent TC-C18 column (4.6 mm x 250 mm, 5 microm), mobile phase was methanol-0.01 mol x L(-1) sodium dihydrogen phosphate (35: 65), flow rate was 1.0 mL x min(-1), and detection wavelength was 203 nm. The chromatographic fingerprints 16 batches of samples were analyzed in using the similarity evaluation system of chromatographic, fingerprint of traditional Chinese medicine, SPSS16.0 and SIMCA13.0 software, respectively. The similarity degrees of the 16 batches samples were more than 0.97, all the samples were classified into four categories, and the PCA showed that the peak area of chlorogenic acid, 3,5-dicaffeoylquinic acid and caffeic acid were significantly effect index in fingerprint of processed Xanthii Fructus sample. The outcome of determination showed that the toxicity ingredient contents of all samples reduced significantly after processing. This method can be used in optimizing the processing technology of Xanthii Fructus.
Caffeic Acids ; analysis ; toxicity ; Chemistry, Pharmaceutical ; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid ; methods ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; analysis ; toxicity ; Quinic Acid ; analogs & derivatives ; analysis ; toxicity ; Xanthium ; chemistry ; classification

Objective: To explore the prevalence and risk factors of orthostatic hypotension (OH) in elderly hypertension patients. Methods: A total of 532 retired hypertension patients elder than 65 years in Guangzhou military region were enrolled. The patients were divided into 2 groups: Hypertension group, n=414 and Hypertension combining OH (H+OH) group, n=118. The patient's age (65-79、≥ 80), hypertension grade (Grade 1-3) and complication status were studied. The risk factors for H+OH prevalence were analyzed by multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Results: The incidence rate of H+OH was 22.2％ (118/532). In H+OH group, the ratios of elderly and very elderly patients were 6.7％ and 23.1％, P<0.05 and the ratios of OH occurrence for hypertension grade 1, 2 and 3 were 12.6％, 23.3％ and 25.2％ respectively, P<0.05. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis presented that systolic blood pressure (BP) in supine position, BP at immediate standing, heart rate in supine position, heart rate after 2 minutes standing and chronic cardiac insufficiency were the impact factors for H+OH occurrence, P<0.05. Conclusion: In elderly hypertension patients, incidence of OH was increasing with age elevating; H+OH has been related to age, severity of hypertension and chronic cardiac insufficiency.

OBJECTIVETo detect the expression of human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) protein and mRNA in bile duct carcinomas and the adjacent tissues and to elucidate its role in bile duct carcinogenesis.

METHODSThe expression of hTERT protein and hTERT mRNA in the formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded specimens of 71 cases of bile duct cancers and 39 cases of adjacent tissues was detected by streptavidin-peroxidase immunostaining and in situ hybridization. The correlation was analysed statistically between the expression of hTERT protein and mRNA and clinicopathological parameters bile duct carcinomas.

RESULTSThe positive rate of hTERT protein expression and mRNA expression in malignant specimens was 78.9% (56/71) and 67.6% (48/71), while that in the adjacent tissues was 35.9% (14/39) and 23.1% (9/39), respectively. All the positive signals were found in the hyperplastic biliary epithelia. No significant correlation was established between hTERT expression and clinicopathological parameters.

CONCLUSIONhTERT gene transcription and protein expression is most likely involved in the proliferation and malignant transformation of bile epithelia and the malignant progression of bile duct carcinomas. The detection of hTERT expression may serve elucidating the carcinogenesis of bile duct.

Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bile Duct Neoplasms ; enzymology ; pathology ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Male ; Middle Aged ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis ; Telomerase ; analysis ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo understand the epidemiological characteristics of essential hypertension in the northern and western areas of China.

METHODSA community-based sampling survey.

RESULTSRates of awareness, treatment and control were 78.6%, 59.7% and 5.9%, respectively. About half of the diagnosed and treated patients took antihypertensive medicine irregularly before the survey was carried out.

CONCLUSIONIt is necessary to carry out education, prevention and control on hypertension and to establish a series of standards for the management and treatment on cases of hypertension.

Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Blood Pressure ; China ; epidemiology ; Drug Administration Schedule ; Female ; Health Surveys ; Humans ; Hypertension ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; therapy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Risk Factors ; Social Class

OBJECTIVETo explore the determinants of 'signing a agreement for establishing smoke-free homes' among the parents of secondary school students.

METHODS2019 parents were surveyed with self-administered questionnaires on their socio-demographic characteristics, smoking behaviors, attitude toward tobacco control at home and related data of their children. At the same time, parents were asked to sign an agreement for making the 'home as smoking-free'. 'Parents signing the agreement' was defined as dependent variable (0=no, 1=yes), and parent's age, gender, educational level, etc. were defined as independent ones. Multi-variant logistic regression analysis was conducted for identifying the determinants of the parents to sign an agreement for establishing 'smoking-free homes'.

RESULTSOf the 2019 surveyed parents, 1047 (51.86%) had signed the agreement including 49.25% of the fathers and 55.73% of the mothers. The results from multi-variant logistic regression analysis indicated that father's 'signing action' was significantly associated with (a) their intention of carrying out the agreements (OR = 3.37), (b) to teach their children about the consequence between smoking and health (OR = 2.10), (c) knowing tobacco control program at school (OR = 1.38), (d) reading tobacco control material provided by school (OR = 1.38), (e) being current smoker (OR = 0.53) compare to that the mother's 'signing action' was significantly associated to (a) intention to carrying out agreements (OR = 2.36), (b) teaching children not to smoke (OR = 2.22), (c) reading tobacco control material provided by school (OR = 1.57).

CONCLUSIONChanging parental cognition and attitude toward smoking was beneficial to promote parental participation in tobacco control campaign and to establish 'smoking-free homes'.

China ; Data Collection ; Female ; Housing ; Humans ; Male ; Parents ; Smoking ; Tobacco Smoke Pollution ; prevention & control

OBJECTIVETo investigate the effect of different fresh gas flows (FGFs) on the pharmacodynamics of isoflurane during anesthesia induction.

METHODSSixty female ASA class I or II patients (aged from 18 to 49 years) scheduled for gynecologic laparoscopic surgery were randomly divided into groups I, II, and III (n=20). The FGFs for group I, II, and III was 1, 2 and 3 L/min, respectively, and each group was further divided into two equal subgroups according to the setting concentrations of isoflurane vaporizer (Co), which was 1% in groups I1, II1, and III1 and 2% in groups I2, II2, and III2. Isoflurane at different setting concentration was administered under different FGF in the patients after tracheal intubation following anesthesia induction. The systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), main arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and bispectral index (BIS) were recorded before anesthesia induction and every 3 min after tracheal intubation. Patients given ephedrine and atropine were also recorded. The patients' consciousness during anesthesia were followed up and recorded. The inspiratory concentration (CIiso) and expiratory concentration (CEiso) of isoflurane in the airway were monitored and recorded every 3 min. The observation after intubation lasted for 18 min, during which stimulation of the patients was avoided, and the operation began after the observation.

RESULTSThere was a close correlation between BIS and CIiso and between BIS and CEiso (r=-0.904 and -0.893, respectively). The incidence of hypotension was significantly different between groups III and I (P<0.01), and between the subgroups in groups II and I (P<0.05). No bradycardia occurred and no consciousness reported awareness during anesthesia.

CONCLUSIONSBetween the completion of tracheal intubation and beginning of the surgery, 1% or 2% Co under a moderate FGF (1-3 L/min) may guarantee the patients' unconsciousness, but hypotension is less likely under a relatively low flow (1-2 L/min) than a higher flow (3 L/min). Higher FGF and Co result in faster induction of deep anesthesia and higher incidence of hypotension.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Anesthesia, Inhalation ; Anesthetics, Inhalation ; pharmacokinetics ; Female ; Humans ; Isoflurane ; pharmacokinetics ; Middle Aged ; Monitoring, Intraoperative ; methods ; Oxygen ; administration & dosage